Nvey erase concealer

Nvey erase concealer is a natural and organic product made up of many different oils, kaolin and beeswax to name a few. It also contains natural sunscreen that gives moderate protection from the sun.

I've been hearing great things about this concealer and really wanted to try it. But with its £18 price tag, it was way over what I would consider a fair price for a concealer. Especially since a lot of natural cosmetics don't tend to work as well as the synthetic kind. It seemed too risky. But I'm glad I took that risk!

This concealer is just perfect. It is more than perfect. Better than any other concealer I've tried my entire life.

The texture is a hard cream. You just need to rub your finger on it a few times to get enough concealer needed for coverage because unlike a lot of concealers, you only need to apply a thin layer, avoiding that cakey look. Plus it means that the concealer would last a long time, justifying the £18.

The concealer can be used to cover anything. So it works on blemishes, dark areas, red patches, freckles.. you name it. I have plenty of these so consider it tried and tested!

By the end of the day, the concealer has stayed put with none of the creases I used to get from other concealers. I still looked wide awake and fresh even by the evening!

Will I buy it again? Definitely!

If you're still looking for that perfect concealer then I would recommend getting Nvey erase concealer from Love Lula or Naturisimo.

xx

H+M's sustainable fashion line

H+M have a brand new line of sustainable fashion clothing! These pieces are made from materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester.

Sounds exciting but I've checked out the range online and I'm not liking any of the ladieswear. Don't they realise that you can be green and stylish? Though, I must say that the children's clothes and the menswear are looking good. And they're very affordable too. It does make me question how much the workers who made these clothes were paid though. Big businesses are quick to market their clothes as green but it's not enough unless they are being fully responsible for everyone and everything involved in their business, whether it is the people making the clothes or the wildlife affected by the pesticides sprayed onto cotton or the quality of the goods produced, which determines how quickly they're thrown away, or the synthetic dyes used that pollute our water. And lets not forget that it's the big and cheap stores that are making it more difficult for independent businesses to survive in this sector. Especially ethical designers who have to sell their clothes at higher prices because of the financial costs involved.

I think I'll pass on this one. It's great that H&M are giving people options but it's not quite good enough for me. I know it sounds hypocritical of me to criticise H&M when I have bought many of their clothes, but to me this is just a poor attempt to jump onto the green bandwagon just to make money from people who care about the environment.

What are your views on this?

xx

M&S's new Fairtrade collaboration and 75% off

Have you heard about Mark and Spencer's new range of babywear? They have been designed in collaboration with Little Green Radicals and are made from organic and Fairtrade cotton. They are so adorable! And affordable too!

Speaking of Little Green Radicals, check out their sale with up to 75%. I'm totally loving this cute Panda dress (only £4.75!).

xx

Naturisimo voucher code (EXPIRED)

Would you like 10% off at Naturisimo? Just type in the discount code WEEKEND when you checkout. Valid until midnight Sunday.

xx

Great deals on healthy treats

Sainsbury's have Feel Good sparkling drinks for half price. So that's only £1.04 for 750ml.

These drinks are 100% natural and 80% fruit. So none of that nasty stuff you usually get in fizzy drinks.

I have tried the White Grape and Peach one so far and it's yum-may! Raspberry and Passionfruit is out of stock at my local Sainsbury's :'( so I'd have to look for it at another branch. I can't wait to try it.

Another deal is on Rachel's Organic Divine Rice - only £1! The great thing about this is that it actually contains real ingredients and none of that funky stuff you get in many tinned rice puddings. It contains two pots so you can take it to work or eat it on the go.

If you have a child then you might be interested in this assortement of Rachel's Organic My First Yogurt. Only £1.19 for 4 pots. If you don't have a child, then get it for yourself!

Happy snacking!

xx

Big sale at Amarya!

I keep telling myslef that I'm going to stop spending but I couldn't help myself when I got an email from Amarya.co.uk informing me of their sale. I found some really good deals on Nvey organic cosmetics as well as some organic perfumes by Jo wood and Acorelle. So look out for some reviews on all of these.

If you want to make even more savings, I have found some discount codes for 20% or £5 off here. You can't use both codes so just use the one that will save you the most.

PLUS you get a free shampoo when you spend £50 AND there is free delivery and free gift wrapping with every order. Can you blame me for shopping there when their offers are so tempting?!

The Truth Matters conference/ exhibition 2011

Just a quick post to let you know about an upcoming conference and exhibition focusing on natural health. Many speakers will be there, including Polly Noble who has refused conventional treatment for her cancer and is instead opting for the natural route to health.

If you'd like to know more about this event, please visit The Truth Matters website.

Moa Green Balm

A few days ago, Love Lula held a giveaway for Moa Green Balm, and I was one of the lucky few that got one through the post this morning! :D (Thanks guys!)

oooh what's inside?

Green balm and a muslin facecloth

I guess you're wondering "what is Moa Green Balm", hmm? Well a healing balm that calms, nourishes, renews and protects your skin. It can be used to moisturise dry skin, as a shave balm, on sensitive/fragile skin, including eczema, or even as a cleanser. How does it do all this? Naturally, of course! Let's take a look at the 100% natural ingredients in plain English:

• Yarrow
• Tea tree oil
• Icelandic water
• Beeswax
• Coconut
• Sweet almond oil
• Soya bean oil
• Nothing else!

Sounds good... but does it work?

After unwrapping my box this morning, I automatically decided to use it to moisturise my face. The texture is nice and soft but thick too. How could I describe it? Quite like butter really.

As soon as I brought it near my face, I could smell its pleasant tea tree scent, which was quite refreshing.

Because of its texture, I found the balm really quick to spread around my face. I only used a teeny amount and I was surprised that it was enough to use all over my face.

The result? My face was glowing! It felt soft and smooth without any greasiness. This also made my foundation go on really quickly and evenly.

There are so many uses for Green Balm that I am yet to experience so I can't wait to try them out.

Green balm is available at Love Lula, starting from £5.00. Not bad for a miracle balm with so many uses, huh?

xx

More Plantlove reviews

As you may already know, a few days ago I got some Cargo Plantlove cosmetics that I ordered from Puresha.com. I got the eyeshadow in Swan and the lipstick in Sarah and Maria.

Swan

Just like the Plantlove eyeshadows I bought previously, Swan is the perfect texture. It's nice and soft without being creamy so it's quick and easy to apply. I chose Swan because I wanted my eyelids to look brighter. Plus it is a must-have when teaming it with the Maria lipstick for a vintage glamour look or with a little bit of the Sarah lipstick for a nude sixties look.

My only problem is that eyeshadows always melt on my eyelids after a few hours so I must remember to try using a primer beforehand.

Maria

Maria is blue-red shade of red. A definite must-have for my make up bag as this classic shade goes with almost any outfit. It has a glow to it so in the daytime you can just blot it and set it with powder to eliminate the glossiness.

Sarah

Sarah is in fact a shimmery light pink and not the colour my camera somehow picked up. As I have olive skin, it makes my skin look darker so I only rub a small amount of the lipstick to give them a soft pink tint.

Both lipsticks have a creamy texture so they are quick and easy to apply and the oils keep my lips soft. They both stay on for hours and hours. I can eat and drink without them coming off too. It's not something you would expect an all natural lipstick to do, but there you have it! It just shows that all natural products CAN work better than the synthetic ones.

I must mention that all the lipsticks come in a box that is embedded with wildflower seeds that you can plant and love ;) PLUS, the plastic casing of all Plantlove products are in fact made from corn that is much kinder to the environment.

Overall, they are all really great products, just like the ones I bought last time. I would definitely recommend Plantlove so give them a go. At half price, they are definitely worth a try.

Considering there isn't much of the range left on the site and they're on offer, I'm hoping Puresha won't be getting rid of this line. From my knowledge, no other retailer stocks Plantlove. So please, please, PLEASE, Puresha, don't take away my Plantlove! :'(

xx

Bored?

Then why not do more?

Small actions can make such a difference whether to the environment, another person or ourselves. Plus you get the bonus pleasure of feeling good about yourself too.

Just pop over to the Action Tracker at wearewhatwedo.org and find something to do, such as baking something for a friend or teaching grandma how to use the Internet. Grandma might appreciate the Internet Buttons on there too.

So whether you are super busy or extremely bored, anyone can fit in these good deeds in their lives.

Now there is no excuse for complaining that you're bored (or wasting time on Facebook. OK hands up I'm guilty!)

Remember to tick off anything you have done (not that you can't do it again) and why not challenge your friends too.

xx

A sneeky peek at the new Priti NYC range

Just like I promised, here are some of Priti NYC's new nail polishes inspired by Laduree's macaroons. Don't they look yummy!

(L-R) Daffodil, Geisha Girl, Forget Me Not and September Charm

I can't wait until they're available in the uk. I want them all! In the meantime, check out the current range at Cult Beauty.

xx

Free sample of organic skin cream

No Nonsense is exactly what it says on the tin - no nonsense. So no parabens, SLS or other nasties we don't want on our skin. Right now, they are giving away free samples of their Real Skin Cream made of nothing but 100% natural ingredients. Oh, and they're fair-trade too - bonus!

Simply click here and fill in your details. Let me know what you think :)

xx

Are natural brands really that natural?

I get really annoyed when I see brands branding themselves as natural. Some go as far as calling themselves natural, since this word has no legal meaning, and some like to put pretty flowers and green font on their packaging to make them look like they use natural ingredients. And then you have the ones that only mention the natural ingredients in their products on the front of the packaging.

I find it very deceiving when companies do this and take advantage of our willingness to spend more money for safer products. If they want to target customers who care about what they put on their skin then it's a matter of choosing only natural/ safe ingredients and not just branding it as so.

A little while ago, I won a bottle of Caudalie cleansing water from Naturisimo.com. I really needed a new cleanser as using olive oil to remove my make up made me break out.

Doesn't it look so natural!

So I started using it right away thinking 'Naturisimo only sell natural/ safe products so there is no need to bother researching each ingredient'. I was so wrong! Other than containing fragrance (which could contain anything!) it also has Poloxamer 184 as the second ingredient after water, which has a toxicity rating of 7-8.

I was looking forward to reviewing this product as it worked so well but how well it works means nothing when it contains such a toxic ingredient.

So let this be a reminder for me to check every single ingredient! And please also let it serve as a reminder for you to also do this. It may be time consuming but it is totally worth it.

xx

2/3 off Bentley Organic cleaning products

Bentley Organic cleaning products are 100% naturally derived and many ingredients are organic too. Right now they are down from £2.99 to only 99p!

So if you're looking for a safe (and super cheap!) way to clean your home, visit lakeland.co.uk to take advantage of this offer. You can try and see if they have them at your local store too.

xx

My Puresha order has arrived!

My order has arrived! What a glorious day!

The lovely people at Puresha sent off my order yesterday by first class recorded delivery and they arrived today. I wasn't expecting them for a few days so I was super excited when they arrived.

Turned out the Pelican eyeshadow is out of stock :( but thankfully everything else was available.

Like last time, the products arrived in a cute furoshiki. This time, I made sure that I took a quick photograph before I unwrap my goodies.

Cute, right?

This is the eyeshadow in Swan.

It is a creamy colour so it's great for a no-make-up look.

I also got two lipsticks, Maria and Sarah...

Maria is the perfect classic blue red shade. Think timeless hollywood glamour. The shade was chosen by American TV presenter, Maria Menounas.

Contrary to the strange peachy colour my camera picked up, Sarah is in fact a light bubblegum pink colour, like on the Puresha website. Very cute! The colour was chosen by Sarah Chalke (the one that plays Dr. Elliot on Scrubs!)

I'll take my new products on a test drive and let you know how well they stay on. Until then, why not read my previous Plantlove reviews:

Blushers and illuminator

Eyeshadows
Lipstick, ligloss and lipliner

And remember, Puresha's half price sale on Plantlove is still on so head down to Puresha.com.

xx

Free conditioner and £5 off at Love Lula

Spend £20 at Lovelula and get a free A'kin leave-in conditioner. But hurry as there are only a limited number of bottles to get your hands on. Just pop over to Love Lula, fill up your basket with natural goodies and type in the voucher code AKIN when you get to the basket page.

As a way of saying 'happy new year', Love Lula are also offering £5 off when you spend £25 (excluding p&p)*.

Just type in the discount code NEWYEAR2011 at the basket page.

*Expires 28th January 2011. Cannot be used in conjunction with other offers so only one code may be used. Cannot be used against sale items.

Let me know if you buy anything nice!

xx

Macaroons and nail polish

Who doesn't love macaroons and nail polish? Of course not the toxic kind of nail polish!

I've heard that Priti NYC, who make some of the safest nail polish I know, have a spring collection coming out soon inspired by Laduree's macaroons.

But that's all I know for now. I'll update you on any more news so keep your eyes peeled! Until then, feast your eyes on their current range at Cult Beauty.

xx

Italy banning plastic bags

Italy has banned plastic bags!

Stores can no longer provide polyethelene bags to their customers. Instead, stores can provide biodegradeable plastic, paper or cloth bags, for example.

This is great news considering Italians use 20 billion bags a year! Imagine adding 20 billion plastic bags to landfill each year!

Source

What do you think about this? Would you like to see a similar law in your country?

xx

Eco-friendly feminine hygiene

I don't know why menstruation is such a sensitive subject. Half the population either has it, will have it or had it. Yet not as many people talk about it. But we should because, believe it or not, sanitary towels/ tampons can contain chemicals and may impose risks on our health and the environment.

We like to share what beauty products are great or what restaurants have great food, so why don't we share what sanitary products we rate or hate?

Do you ever wonder where your sanitary towel ends up? Nor do I. But considering each woman uses 12,000 sanitary towels in a lifetime (yep that's the correct number of zeros), we are contributing to the amount of rubbish on landfill. If you're thinking "well there's nothing I can do about that", there is. There are a few brands out there that manufacture more natural alternatives.

Natracare (from £1.39, Love Lula) produce biodegradable towels and tampons made entirely from organic cotton. So no plastics or perfume. And the cotton isn't bleached with chlorine either. I never really understood the point of perfumed sanitary towels! And do we really need plastic or chlorine anywhere near our private parts?

The towels sound great in theory, but do they work well?

In all honesty, no. The quality is quite poor. In fact, similar to the supermarket own-brand. I wouldn't recommend it without wings at all but I would assume that the one with wings would be much better.

So what other alternatives are there?

There is the mooncup, which I have read positive reviews on. I'm sure many of you have heard of it but for those who haven't it basically looks like this...

... and is used just like a tampon, except it can be worn for up to 8 hours because it is even more absorbent and because it is safe to do so as it contains no toxic chemicals.

There are also reusable sanitary towels, which you can just wash and reuse so they would save you a lot of money overtime too. You can find them in many websites such as Earthwise Girls.

I can't review these two options as I've never tried them. So if you have tried them or tried any other similar products, please let me know what you think.

xx